5 Reasons The Money20/20 Hackathon Was 🔥
On a late October weekend in 2016, developers from all over the US (and a few from other countries) flew into Las Vegas for the official hackathon of the largest FinTech conference in the world, Money20/20, at The Venetian.
Tickets sold out over a month prior to the event. This being the third year of the Money20/20 Hackathon, we weren’t surprised. People have picked up on the all-around epicness of this event.
We thought we’d highlight a few reason why the event attracts people from all over the country (aside from the travel stipend).
1. The prizes
Hackathons are prime for innovation and improving your programming skills, and the free food is fun too. But let’s be real, this particular hackathon has mindblowing prizes.
From the Money20/20 side alone; five teams won $5,000 and another five teams won $20,000, with the grand prize winner (Clever) receiving the cash + the chance to pitch at StartupPitch180!
In addition to those prizes…
2. The sponsors came in with the big 💰
Not too shabby of a list, right? Listing the prizes each one brought would require approximately 5 minutes of scrolling. But let’s just say, a few lucky teams can go out a buy a car with their winnings. And some are off on an all expenses paid trip to Paris.
In addition to prizes, the sponsors came in prepped with support teams for the hackers, as well as incredible swag. If you didn’t walk out on Sunday without a bag full of free goodies, you should have gotten up and walked around to the sponsor tables.
The team that jumps off the Stratosphere together can conquer anything together!
Darren Murata, Money20/20 hacker & Comrade co-founder and Creative Director
3. The surprise special guest…
Any Mr. Robot fans reading this? Prepare to be jealous. Kor Adana, the writer and technical advisor on the hit USA show was brought in by Feedzai to do autographs, take photos with fans, and talk with our CMO Brian Collins on stage about the technical aspects that make Mr. Robot such a hit amongst the developer community.
Talk about a relevant guest for a hackathon.
4. The Venetian
Your typical hackathon takes place in a gymnasium, a coworking space, office, or a classroom. Money20/20 is a bit different, being at The Venetian and all…
It literally felt like we were hacking in a palace. A massive palace supplied with plenty of extension cords, and a team of 7 wifi experts standing by for any issues.
5. The Hackers
Simply put, the most passionate, dedicated and talented hackathon enthusiasts flock to the Money20/20 hackathon every year. They’re drawn by the prizes, the experience, the food, the trip to Vegas, etc. And the quality of projects is always incredible.
